High wing aeroplane



Sept. 11', 1934.

J. V. MARTIN Filed but. 1, 1929 4 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR.

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SePt- 11, 1934 J. iv. MARTIN I HIGH `WING AEROPLANE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3Filed oct. 1, 1929 INVENTOR iory,

sept. 11, 1934.

J. v. MARTIN HIGH WING -AEROPLANE Filed oct. 1. 1929 4 sheets-sheet 4INVENTOR.

Patented Sept. 11, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 12 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in running and alighting devicesfor vehicles and more particularly to amphibians and to means forsuspending and propelling the same for land, air

and water operation.

One of the objects of my invention is to simplify the alighting gear ofaeroplanes so that the Vsaine means which permits the aeroplane to rollover the ground can be used to balance the aero- 10 plane when it floatsonV the surface of the water.

A further object of my invention is to provide a type of low pressuretire which will not cause the aeroplane to bounce so much as the higherpressure tires do and to make the tire relau tively safe from becomingflat if a puncture occur.

A further object of my invention is to provide a self inating type oflow pressure tire and to adapt the said tire for use as an auxiliaryiloat, and to combine an eflicient form of brake with l the said ure. Y

A still further object of my invention is to provide a new arrangementof motor cylinders within an aeroplane fuselage, so that they may be'cooled more effectively.

Further objects of my invention will become readiLv apparent from aninspection of the drawings as elucidated hereafter:-

liig. 1 is a plan view of a monoplane equipped with my invention and aFig. 2 is a side elevation of -the said monoplane showing the chassis indotted lines in ein tended position and both the central pontoon andchassis retracted in full lines.

Fig. 3 shows the same monoplane in side elevation, but with both thecentral pontoon and the wheel type iloats in extended'position ready tosupport the monoplane upon the surface of the water.

Fig. 4 shows the monoplane in front elevation with both wheels and floatretracted for full flight operation, and l f Pig. 5 shows the same frontelevation with wheels and iloat in extended position.

Fig. 8 shows a cross section through one of the wheel type iloats andparts of the two port side straw, and Fig. 7 shows a view radially andpartly in section of the tire and its self inating bags.

Fig. 8 shows a horizontal section through the upper V banks of the motorcylinders to illustrate the air ilow cooling, and

Fig. 9 shows a typical oval shaped slot in a cylinder jacket.

Proceeding now, with .the more detailed deployed to designate similarparts throughout the several views:

1 indicates a typical monoplane wing of the double convex type asdisclosed in my Patent No. 1,771,053 of July 22, 1930 and 'copendingapplica '60 tion Serial No. 675,156. 2 indicates an aerofoil type offuselage arranged below the thickest part of the wing with a motor 5 indotted lines in its forward part. 3 and 4 indicate motors located withinthe wing and driving propellers 6 sup- 65 ported by a streamlinedhousing 6. 7 is a horizontal stabilizer having operable ilaps attachedand 9 indicates a iloat type of rudder having a tail skid 10 inclosedwithin its widened iloat portion 9' as more fully disclosed in my PatentNo. 70 1,464,209 of Aug. 7, 1923; 11 indicates a cutout portion of therudder float 9" for turning which is faired in smoothly by sheet metalhaving a loose end or flexible material as thin rubber: The tail skid ismore fullytdisclosed in my copending ap- 75 plications already referredto.

12 indicates trailing edge flaps for raising the low speed lift of thewing while 13 indicates trailing edge ailerons and 14 an inclosednavigation light. 15 indicates the chassis frame of the 80 auxiliaryoats as more fully disclosed in my Patent No. 1,431,017 of Oct. 3, 1922and 16 indicates these float type wheels and 16 an extra buoyancy float.17 indicates the rear struts forv the collapsible retractable pontoonjournaled re- 85 spectively at 19 within the lower portion of thefuselage and at 20 within the upper rear portion of the lower or rigidportion ofthe pontoon 23;

18 indicates the front struts of the pontoon and 18' the diagonal strutand 21 and 22 like attach- 90 ments to 19 and 20 already described.

24 indicates the landing angle when the wheels are extended for use onland as indicated in Fig.

2 and the pontoon is out of the way through retraction as indicated'. 24in Fig. 5 indicates the 95 water level for normal loading, when theamphibian is floating upon the surface of the water, its weight beingtaken mostly by the central pontoon and its balance upon that pontoonbeing maintainedby the auxiliary oats 16 and 16.

25 is the balloon portion or inflated upper section of the pontoon and26 the rigid lower portion of 23 as more clearly disclosed in my PatentNo. 1,728,621; it is provided with a step 27 air vented by a pipe 27 andhaving a false bottom 28 hinged 105 atA 29 so that when the .telescopedportion of the pipe v-27' is pushed down, as when the top of the pontoonis deflated and the pontoonl collapsedv against the bottom of thefuselage, the false scription of the invention, like numerals are em-\bottom 28 will streamline the hydro-step as 110 shown in Fig. 2. 30 is astreamline form to complete the streamlining of the pontoon 23 in itsvretracted position and 31 is another rear stream-v 43' in the tire rim44: this rim has one of its flanged parts 45 telescoping over the otherpart and over studs 46, which secure it in place after the straight sidetype tire has been placed between the'rim flanges 48. A hole 43a in therecess 43 admits air from the hub chamber 47 and 48 is a typical flangeon the rim 44, while 49 is an oil impregnated bushing protected fromdust by v dust washers 49. The rim 44 is held in place upon the axletube 5.8 by a flange and nut 50 and a one way valve 51 is secured in thesaid nut and flange center and a cord to the pilots position passesthrough the said valve so as to open it when pulled for thev deflatingof the extra float 16'. This extra float is attached to the externalsurface of the tire oat 16 at 52 in any suitable manner and the cord 62is provided with a swivel 62': 53 indicates a brake drum and 54 aninternal type brake band operates in any of a number of customary waysas by the brake rod 55 running through the chassis strutto the pilotsposition in the fuselage. 56 indicates an air tube from a compressedairbottle or servo motor under the pilots control to furnish compressedair to the chamber within the axle 58,zwhich is closed on one side bythe ange and nut 50 and on the -other by partition 57, a hole 59 allowsair to pass from within 58 to the chamber 47 and thence through holes43a to the valves 43: 60 indicates air passages from air cups 61 intothe chamber 47 and it is contemplated that when the air line 56 is inuse that these. passages 60 will be .closed and not needed. 62, the cordto pilots position from within 16' ramifies into attachments 63 whichpull the extra float 16' into collapsedposition indicated in dottedlines, Fig. 6, against the resistance of light steel springs 42'.

Looking at Figs. 8 and 9 we' see the fan housing 33 and the fan 34,which has a continuous number of blades so that it completely fills thearea of its encompassing circle and puts an air pressure into thepassage 37 from which the compressed cool air passes through short ovalpipes 36 within an air jacket 35 around each motor cylinder and exits onthe opposite side through a similar opening.

As indicated by the dotted lines of Figs. 1-4

Vthe banks of the cylinders extend vertically up and down in thefuselage from the crankcase..

In operation my invention is used to replace wing end floats or othermeans of balancing the aeroplane on its central float and the wavydotted line 24 indicates how the water normally will strike the wheeltype floats (Fig. 6) when that side `is the lowest on one side of thecentral float. The

41; in other words this type tire wil/l be so large in area that it willroll if it has only normal atmospheric pressure within it and thesprings 42 will insure this, in that they expand each air bag 41 whenrelieved of the planes weight and this causes the external air tc comeinto the bag through the valves 43 which hold it against exit.

Furthermore, While the usual form of pneumatic Where one or more bagshave punctures in them,

they will have a chance to recover atmospheric air pressure within themwhen relieved of the load between the hub and the ground and when againsubjected to that load will support the automobile or plane because thepuncture will not permit the escape of air as fast as the tire turns abag through the loaded arc.

Thus three distinct ways of filling the above tire are shown, 1, thatdescribed above, next that of using the fan blades 61 to pump airpressure within the chamber 4'1v and lastly by means of a pressure line56 from an air pump or other source.

Of course when the float type wheels are used for groundalighting thecentral pontoon will be collapsed and retracted and the extra oat 16'can remain collapsed as it is when the wheels are retracted.

Thus it will be observed that I have accomplished the design of .apractical lloat and ground alighting chassis in one retracting mechanismin place of the two heretofore needed and have at the same time beenable to obtain the eflciency and vision of the Highwing type plane.

A wide variation of my invention will bel possible without departingfrom its teaching and I do not limit myself to the detailed disclosure.-

What I claim isz- 1. In combination with a hydroaeroplane a vehicle tirehaving an auxiliary inatable bag for cooperative buoyancy together withthe said tire as a balancing rotatable float for said hydroaeroplane.

2. A combined water balancing float and ground wheel for an amphibianincluding an inflated large cross section tire rotatably mounted upon acomparatively small diameter rim the said tire held in spaced apartrelation to the said amphibian by a frame and means passing through theinclosed portions of thesaid frame to inflate the said tire.

3. The combination according to claim 2 and an-auxiliary` inflatablefloat extending axially beyond the end of the said rim.

4. In combination with an amphibian, an auxiliary balancing floatcomprising an oversized loo tire fitted upon a comparatively smalldiameter rim and an additional air inflated float extending in therotational plane and on one side of the said tire.

5. The combination according to claim 4 and means to inflate and deflatethe said additional float operable from the pilots position.

6. An inflatable balancing float for a hydroaeroplane disposed on oneside of a central water support and held rotatably' by a retractableframe in spaced apart relation to the said hydroaeroplane and meanspassing through the said frame to deate the said oat.

10. 'In combination with an amphibian having.

7. A hydroaeroplane provided with multiple motors and a retractablealighting tire located under each said motor, means to retract and housepart of each said tire within the lower wing surface and means operablein night to innate and deate the said tires in their extended positions,the said tires adapted to act as balancing floats for the saidhydroaeroplane about a centrally located retractable iioat.

8. In combination with a hydroaeroplane having a centrally locatedretractable pontoon, retractable tires and rims to support the saidhydroaeroplane on the ground and the said tires of greatercross-sectional dimension than the rim diameters and in one of theiradjustable positions held securely above the said pontoon bottom tobalance the said hydroaeroplane on the surface of the water.

9. In combination with an amphibian having a centrally locatedl pontoonand a steerable rearwardly located pontoon, van air inated rotatable oatfor lateral balance on the surface of the water, means to retract andextend the said float so that the lowest adjustable position thereofwill be above the lowest bottom portin of the said pontoon and yieldableground engaging means under the said rearwardly located pontoon.

a wing and ya central iioat, an auxiliary rotatable balancing floatextendible from the said amphibian wing by means of a retractable frame,

and means passing through the said frame tol -inilate the said float inits extended position,

the said central float being retractable to aposition which permits thesaid rotatable float to contact .the ground in normal attitude of thesaid amphibian.

'11. In combination with an amphibian hav' ing three retractable andinflatable oats, the..

two outer said oats being rotatable and the central said oat beingretractable to-a position which permits the said outer oats to serve asground alighting tires. l

12. The combination in an amphibian of a centrally located iloat and aretractable rotatable float on either side of the said central float,and means during ight to adjust the relative positions of the saidcentral and side iloats, the side oats held securely below the lowestposition of the bottom of the said central iloat in one of the saidpositions and above the said iloats low est position in another, and aframe subtending and spacing the said 4rotatable iloats from the saidamphibian.

JAMES V. MARTIN.

